Changes are coming at a very exponential rate. Everyday we are making choices that will ultimately make our life greener. We recently decided to start walking to the farmer’s market, but because we eat so much produce it can be hard to really ditch the car. So this past weekend Matt and I decided to go looking for a shopping cart, the kind that little older women drag behind them on the way to the market. They are INGENIUS and would enable us to walk to the farmers market instead of drive. Since we were driving to Target we decided to make that our first stop. Three employees later, and a lot of time in the luggage section we came away with nothing. Our next stop was Lowes. They did have an awesome little wagon I really wanted, but no cart. We tried all the stores in the shopping complex Costco, Rite Aid, TJ Max, and in a vain attempt to look at some crafting supplies, Michaels. In the end we went home very tired and with feet hurting. I was really disappointed.

There was a very funny conversation with a Whole Foods sales person when I called to see if they had something similar. After explaining what I was looking for as “a kind of personal shopping cart with wheels”, the poor guy didn’t say anything and then asked ‘Don’t all shopping carts have wheels?”. I asked if they sold something similar to what I had described, and he said ‘No Ma’am we do not sell our shopping carts. If you would like to use one then you will have to shop at our store.’ He promptly hung up and I laughed my head off. I may have been describing it poorly.
The next day I walked over to Ace Hardware in search of some plants for a garden we are planning.  Lo and behold, they had them! Not just one type but THREE! We are now the proud owners of a shopping trolley with hooks to hang our cloth bags on. We will  be walking to the farmer’s market on Saturdays, saving us money and the environment!
Looking at our transportation was a big part of these last two weeks. We live about a mile and a half from my work and about two and a half miles from Matt’s job. Since we both work for the same place we could walk together most of the way or take the bus, but we usually wake up really late and drive to work. Our goal is to start walking a couple times a week, working up to everyday. Since we are both out of shape, we don’t want to have our legs fall off in the middle of everything or pull a muscle. Also, since I have Fibromyalgia I will have to be extra careful I don’t over extend myself. Starting with one day a week will be just what the doctor ordered. Here we are two weeks in and being green is already changing our lives for the better!

When the issue of living a green lifestyle first arose, my husband, Matt, and I never really gave the decision the time it deserved. We are an average couple from Orange County, California where being green is usually fashionable, and being fashionable requires a six figure income. We couldn’t see the practicality of going green if it meant having to continually shop for the next green gadget. It was only recently that we started doing serious research about becoming truly green. Turns out we really didn’t know what constituted a green lifestyle. Three months later we are planning to take the plunge, and I can tell you that it won’t be easy.

Let me give you a bit of background on me and my family. I am 26 years old and my husband, Matt, is 22. We’ve been married almost a year, and live in a one bedroom, 750 square foot apartment that our friends like to call quaint. We have two cats, Sophie and Mae, that were rescued from dubious circumstances and an adopted Guinea Pig named Linus. We are thinking about adding another human to the mix, but for the time being we are focused on making some changes to our lives. As for hobbies, Matt builds computers on the weekends and writes for a computer website. I am a part-time artist and writer. We both work full-time and go to school, making for a hectic schedule. Most of our spare time is spent at home on one of our many home built computers. This is probably why we created an excel spreadsheet to keep track of our eco-footprint. My husband is not happy about spending more time off the computer, and I foresee several battles about the “unplugging” issue.

This last week has really been an eye opener since we prepared for this project by getting rid of our excess. The apartment is being transformed into a very neat and tidy little home. We’ve always been a little cluttered and this week has really resulted in a lot of downsizing. It’s amazing how much can accumulate over the years. Matt and I found things we forgot we owned. Everything we don’t need will be going to Goodwill this week. We are also donating some of our big items to charities.

When we started this project Matt and I decided to maintain an objective point of view. Our goal is to cut our eco-footprint by 75%. We are willing to try new things and learn what works for us. We are not planning on doing anything that cannot be done reasonably. We feel that we can change quite a bit this way.

We will take our project step by step, making sure that we adjust to our new lifestyle so that we can maintain it. Many people get overwhelmed by making too many changes at once, and we want to avoid that mistake. We really want to take living green one day at a time and focus on something that is sustainable. I’m a little nervous about what this year will bring but also excited. It’s going to be a very green adventure…